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Class 6(66)
Forced Entry: Uncertain future
09/09/13 || Habakuk
Introduction
1989 again. Damn, that year doesn’t let go of me. And even though I tried to thoroughly dissect it for the Year In Review feature hidden somewhere on GD (if you find it: cookie!), it apparently still has ample material to discover on its sleeve. And as you know, nothing comes close to discovering an unknown thrash gem, except maybe cookie. I read somewhere that these guys were probably the most underrated thrash act ever, and since the rest in the article around that statement seemed generally sensible (and included praise for Demolition Hammer), I checked these guys out. Of course, they are nowhere to be found on Spotify, and I had to buy this disc on eBay due to lack of alternatives, but damn did it pay off. First of all because having an actual physical disc lying in front of me greatly raises my motivation to write a review. That means you have something to distract yourself from the next few minutes of your miserable existence. Secondly because it’s downright awesome thrash metal.
Songwriting
9. If (and that is a big if) Forced Entry are spoken of, they’re usually dubbed a progressive or technical thrash band. There is some truth to that, especially when talking about the album that followed this one. On “Uncertain future” however, the general feeling is that of straightforward asskickery more than any kind of pretentiousness that the term “progressive” might invoke. Undeniably though, the song structures are often more elaborate than the verse/chorus/verse/chorus/break hand axes of say, “Agent Orange”. There’s a lot of variation rhythmically, too, but in a very focused way, working towards a very blunt, brutal feel instead of just being there for show. In the general approach of mixing some intricacies with bad-ass thrash, I guess a comparison to Forbidden isn’t too far-fetched. The naming of a song “A look through glass” kind of supports that feeling, too. And while we’re at it: Watch this Forbidden video, it’s awesome.
And now let’s talk about fucken “Anaconda”! If you’ve ever listened to Vio-Lence, first banging your head, then adding a wall to the setup once the vocals kick in, here’s some great news for you: Said song progresses into a riff pretty damn similar to Calling in the coroner, and you know what that means: Fuck YES. I’ll talk about the vocals later, but I can tell you as much already: they’re better, much better. Which makes this song feel like a long overdue reparation for some severe headaches. If this one doesn’t convince you, then don’t bother too much about thrash anymore. And the fact that the band never let the intensity slip even after changing from that absolute killer main riff shows that these guys weren’t just dealt a lucky hand. As is the fact that “Anaconda” is only the spearhead of a total of five tracks on here that I would like to mention as “standout” tracks, paradoxon or not.
Production
8. Somewhat heavier than your average 80s thrash album, and with a lot of breathing space for the guitars and bass instead of tight compression. Borders on blurring together sometimes, but actually never crosses that line.
Guitars
9. Well it’s actually just one guitar that got a studio double, but what counts is that the guy playing it came up with enough riffs for three or four of his kin. Not afraid of more complex rhythms or simplistic caveman thrashing either, Brad Hull is a joy to listen to for anyone but halfway into thrash. Technical ability meets songwriting skill and a hand for chromatic badassery, and there we have it: Thrash as thrash can.
Bass
8. Not least thanks to the three-piece lineup, there is a lot of full-bodied bass to be heard on this album. Which in effect adds to the punchy, blunt vibe that makes these songs so effective. The playing itself is pretty proficient, too, which is a definite requirement in order to keep up with the high speed and often complex riffing. Add a couple of little extra fills and we are set for a thoroughly great performance – especially, but not exclusively, for a thrash album.
Drums
8. If you have a shitty drummer, your thrash band
can usually pack up. Some curious examples go against that rule, but
Forced Entry were not in it to test their luck. With Colin Mattson, they
got themselves a pretty powerful asset behind the kit. While keeping
the flow nicely, he provides even the rhythmically more intricate parts
with punch, so that the Forced Entry Thrash Machine never really loses
steam.
Yet while his patterns are cool and generally well-connected, too, there
could be a bit more variation in terms of fills, but that is a minor
complaint about a really, really good performance.
Vocals
8. Tony Benjamin has a great, gruff tone that nicely combines comprehensiveness and aggression. It suits the band’s sound like the proverbial glove, and the more puzzling it is that for one song (“Unrest they find”), guitarist Brad Hull took over vocal duties. While he doesn’t do terribly, I can’t shake off the impression that he does his part to make that one the weakest on the album. Why they did the same thing on the follow-up remains a complete mystery. I’ll detract a point here because fuck you.
Lyrics
7. While I best remember the names “Anaconda”, “Octoclops” and “Morgulon”, the songs’ content is actually not that brainless. Still, they are pretty archetypical 80s thrash fare with a bit of environmental concern, childhood traumas , violence and all that. Well-executed, but yeah.
Logo
4. Okay, so I can see how that middle bit of the F forces its entry…behind the other letters. Close, but no dice, guys. The rest of the logo is as bland as it gets. Even the retarded frog green one on the follow-up trumps this.
Cover art
3. What the fuck? That looks like a pretty certain future to me. Does the guy in the picture look worried about having to many options? Seriously, back to start, fuckers. And don’t forget to take that logo with you.
Booklet
7 I’ve got the 1999 Century Media reissue which also contained “The Shore” (which I am not including in this review). It’s got a nice concert picture in the middle where half a page is pretty much filled with a crowdsurfing guy’s Chuck Taylors. The rest is lyrics and thank you’s, you know the deal.
Overall and ending rant
Somewhat late to the thrash party and maybe not iconic enough if you look at the full package, Forced Entry surely can’t be counted among the historical winners of their time. Yet musically, they are beyond any doubt. Brutal, intelligent and full-on thrash metal without any weak spots. So, while circumstances might not have been favorable for them in 1989, they are for you today, because you basically have their stuff at your fingertips. Enjoy and play loud.
- Information
- Released: 1989
- Label: Combat Records
- Website: Forced Entry MySpace
- Band
- Tony Benjamin: vocals, bass
- Brad Hull: guitars, vocals
- Colin Mattson: drums
- Tracklist
- 01. Bludgeon
- 02. Kaleidoscope of pain
- 03. A look through glass
- 04. Anaconda
- 05. Octoclops
- 06. Unrest they find
- 07. Morgulon
- 08. Foreign policy
